Page 67 of Devil’s Promise

I never thought I’d leave my father’s house. And I don’t expect to live all that long. Why not enjoy a few moments with Angel? Even if it’s all fantasy, the pleasure is an unexpected treat.

I realize we’re in the bathroom when he drops my feet to the floor, his other arm still tight around my back as he turns on the shower.

Pressed to his front, I shift even closer, the band of his shorts digging into my belly.

He rumbles, stepping back long enough to drop the shorts to the shower floor.

And then he’s got a handful of my ass, pulling me tight into his hips.

My leg automatically wraps around his thigh.

With his other hand, he grabs my other cheek and then he’s lifting me as he steps into the warm spray.

The water makes our bodies slick, my skin gliding along his, even as his erection slides between my folds.

It sends a shiver through my body.

He’s not inside me, but I have this deep desire for us to be joined body and soul…

I stiffen, the thought so dangerous.

“Where do you think you’re going,” he growls against my mouth.

“I…” My eyes blink water, as I pull back the slightest bit. “I…” My hands slide from his hair to cup his jaw as I look into his eyes. “I want to feel you inside me…” I whisper.

He kisses me long and deep, our tongues tangling together. I squeeze my thighs tighter, lifting up a little higher so that the tip of his member is pressed against my opening. He starts to push inside, a little burning makes my breath catch.

But that’s when his hand comes to my hip, holding me in place. “Promise.” There is a warning in his voice and I blink my eyes open, confused by his reaction.

“You know I gave my word not to take you until after we were married.”

My head whips back. Because there it is. His commitment to my father. The pain that radiates through me steals my breath as I try to pull away from him.

He doesn’t let me go. In fact, he presses me to the shower wall, which actually makes him sink a little deeper inside me.

It burns but I barely feel it.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” With my back against the wall, he lets go of my hip to grab my chin.

“You warned me,” I whisper back. “You’re not a nice guy. This doesn’t have a happy ending.”

I see his grimace. “I made promises to you too, remember? About keeping you safe. I tell the truth, Promise, and I keep my word. I told your father I wouldn’t have sex with you until after we’re married. It’s not about him or you, it’s about me. I’ve got one good trait. I can’t lose it.”

I soften in his arms, because he’s right. Leaning my head back against the shower wall, I close my eyes. “I made a promise too.”

“What promise did you make?”

“To avenge my mother.” I open my eyes again, the look of pain on his face enough to make me know that he’s not my soldier.

This time, my leg slowly slides down his until I unwrap it, placing my foot on the shower floor. I won’t ask him to choose me. It’s his choice to pick whose side he wants to take. And I’m afraid of his answer…

My father has so much to offer.

Slowly, I slide away, stepping back into the spray.

I’ve got to get ready.

It’s my wedding day.